Hi my friends,
It's been a while since I've posted, and the fact is it was a welcome break.
Sometimes I feel compelled to write, and love that; but there are other times when I feel the duty to write and it becomes a task - often dry and stale.
So forgive me for the lack of posting and accept this as a "glad to be back here and sharing again."
I continue to read through Calvin's "Institutes of Christian Religion" - a massive exposition of Christian doctrine, now 550+ years old, but still timeless in depth and truth. I've come to the end of book two, which means there are still two more books to do. This last book dealt with the person and work of Christ, and in an interesting fashion the last part of book two was an exposition of the Apostle's Creed.
Don't know if you remember the creed, but it's worth memorizing.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
In Calvin's Institutes he wrote extensively on the person and work of Jesus. I love his ability to take the short statements on themes of the cross, death, resurrection, ascension and bring it all together in one complete summary. Here's Calvin's ending paragraph.
"When we see that the whole sum of our salvation, and every single part of it, are comprehended in Christ, we must beware of deriving even the minutes portion of it from any other quarter. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that he possesses it; if we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, we shall find them in his unction; strength in his government; purity in his conception; indulgence in his nativity, in which he was made like us in all respects, in order that he might learn to sympathise with us: if we seek redemption, we shall find it in his passion; acquittal in his condemnation; remission of the curse in his cross; satisfaction in his sacrifice; purification in his blood; reconciliation in his descent to hell; mortification of the flesh in his sepulchre; newness of life in his resurrection; immortality also in his resurrection; the inheritance of a celestial kingdom in his entrance into heaven; protection, security, and the abundant supply of all blessings, in his kingdom; secure anticipation of judgment in the power of judging committed to him. In fine, since in him all kinds of blessings are treasured up, let us draw a full supply from him, and none from any other quarter. Those who, not satisfied with him alone, entertain various hopes from others, though they may continue to look to him chiefly, deviate from the right path by the simple fact, that some portion of their thought takes a different direction. No distrust of this description can arise when once the abundance of his blessings is properly known."
It's been a while since I've posted, and the fact is it was a welcome break.
Sometimes I feel compelled to write, and love that; but there are other times when I feel the duty to write and it becomes a task - often dry and stale.
So forgive me for the lack of posting and accept this as a "glad to be back here and sharing again."
I continue to read through Calvin's "Institutes of Christian Religion" - a massive exposition of Christian doctrine, now 550+ years old, but still timeless in depth and truth. I've come to the end of book two, which means there are still two more books to do. This last book dealt with the person and work of Christ, and in an interesting fashion the last part of book two was an exposition of the Apostle's Creed.
Don't know if you remember the creed, but it's worth memorizing.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AmenI believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
In Calvin's Institutes he wrote extensively on the person and work of Jesus. I love his ability to take the short statements on themes of the cross, death, resurrection, ascension and bring it all together in one complete summary. Here's Calvin's ending paragraph.
"When we see that the whole sum of our salvation, and every single part of it, are comprehended in Christ, we must beware of deriving even the minutes portion of it from any other quarter. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that he possesses it; if we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, we shall find them in his unction; strength in his government; purity in his conception; indulgence in his nativity, in which he was made like us in all respects, in order that he might learn to sympathise with us: if we seek redemption, we shall find it in his passion; acquittal in his condemnation; remission of the curse in his cross; satisfaction in his sacrifice; purification in his blood; reconciliation in his descent to hell; mortification of the flesh in his sepulchre; newness of life in his resurrection; immortality also in his resurrection; the inheritance of a celestial kingdom in his entrance into heaven; protection, security, and the abundant supply of all blessings, in his kingdom; secure anticipation of judgment in the power of judging committed to him. In fine, since in him all kinds of blessings are treasured up, let us draw a full supply from him, and none from any other quarter. Those who, not satisfied with him alone, entertain various hopes from others, though they may continue to look to him chiefly, deviate from the right path by the simple fact, that some portion of their thought takes a different direction. No distrust of this description can arise when once the abundance of his blessings is properly known."
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